


Little Victories

by VeraGemini



Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Arguing, M/M, Slash, romantic evening gone awry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-21
Updated: 2014-04-21
Packaged: 2018-01-20 06:09:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1499561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VeraGemini/pseuds/VeraGemini
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A fill for this prompt from the Cabin Pressure Kink Meme-</p>
<p>"Something just occurred to me, if Martin was in a relationship he would sooooo insist on having the left side of the bed cos that's where the captain sits. So let's have some Martin/Douglas arguing about who gets what side of the bed :p"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Little Victories

**Author's Note:**

> It's short, and a little nonsense-y, but this is the first thing I've managed to finish writing in about five years! Thank you very much for the prompt, you beautiful Anon, you!

For the first time since his mid-twenties, Douglas Richardson was nervous. Not so nervous that he was worried he'd be sick, or anything, but there were definite butterflies doing loops in his stomach.

  
He could still hear the shower running, so he tip-toed across the carpet to dim the lights and opened the bottle of red wine he'd secretly picked up earlier, much nicer than anything they had in the hotel bar. Douglas poured a generous amount into a glass. Into the second glass, he poured grape juice from a carton, heaving a long-suffering sigh. It was practically the same colour as the wine, but it didn't smell anywhere near as inviting.

  
He then turned his attention to the bed, feeling those damn butterflies dancing around again. He knew tonight might not lead to anything physical - the last thing he wanted to do was rush Martin into anything, after all - but it would be the first time the two of them had shared a bed, thanks to Carolyn's latest plan to save money, and that in itself was special.

  
Douglas heard the running water from the bathroom stop and hurriedly grabbed the glasses off of the low table. Martin entered, towelling his hair dry with one hand, and clutching his neatly folded uniform with the other, and Douglas smoothly proffered the wine.

  
"Nightcap for you, sir?" he asked in his most honeyed tone, smiling widely as Martin threw the towel over the back of the single chair and took the glass.  
"Thank you," Martin replied, taking a sip. He hummed in appreciation, then frowned suddenly. "This is alright, isn't it? What have you got to drink?"

  
"Grape juice." Douglas tried not to look too put out as he sipped from his own glass. "Yes. That's the stuff."

  
Martin laughed softly, leaning forward and tilting his head in invitation. Douglas happily obliged, swooping down to gently kiss his warm lips.

  
"It is alright, though, isn't it?" Martin asked again, voice a near whisper. "I don't mean the wine. I mean the, um..." His eyes flicked to the double bed. "I mean... sharing..."

  
"Fine by me," Douglas assured him casually, swallowing around a butterfly trying to escape. "As long as you don't snore. Or giggle in your sleep like Arthur does."

  
"Does he?" Martin asked with a snigger of his own. "Sounds like Carolyn's double room idea has backfired on her then."

  
"Why do you think she looked so dismayed when she drew her straw downstairs?"

  
Martin smiled in that innocent and unguarded way that made Douglas want to gather him into his arms and never let him go. The blush that crept onto his cheeks at Douglas' answering grin was an added bonus. "I'll just... put my uniform away. Then I'll be with you."

  
Douglas watched Martin fuss around with his suitcase as he moved to the bed, rearranging the thin pillows as best as he could. It wasn't anywhere near perfect, but it would have to do for now.

  
He settled himself on the bed, eyes flicking back to the other man, wondering if he should have let Martin get into bed first. Would this come across as jumping the gun?  
Don't be absurd, he berated himself. There is only one bed. He had to sleep somewhere.

  
"What are you doing?"

Douglas felt the bottom drop out of his stomach as he looked back to Martin guiltily. Maybe he had been a bit too keen after all.

  
"Just getting comfortable," he replied with a reassuring smile, trying to keep his voice as syrupy smooth as possible. "Well, as comfortable as possible on a mattress that is older than I am."

  
"No," Martin shot back tightly, all trace of fondness vanished. "I meant, what are you doing _there_?"

  
"What am I doing in bed?" Douglas asked incredulously. He wasn't sure how, but he must have _really_ misread the signals. "I don't know about you, Martin, but usually on overnight trips, I am accustomed to getting at least some sleep. And the best place to do that - although, admittedly, this one could be more comfortable and apparently much more solitary - is typically in bed."

  
Martin padded across the room, placing his wine glass pointedly on the bedside table next to the older man. He then levelled what Douglas suspected was his very best "Captain Look" at him. It never really had much weight to begin with, and lost more when said Captain was in his pyjamas. Douglas tried his hardest not to laugh.  
"I really think, as I am the superior officer here, that I should-"

  
"Oh, Martin, don't tell me you want me to give up the bed," Douglas cut off with a look of mild irritation, and that sinking feeling that comes with realising you'd been a complete fool. "You can't seriously be asking me to sleep on the floor - downstairs we agreed that we could share like reasonable adults!"

  
"Yes, we can!" Martin drew himself up to his full, somewhat unimpressive height. "That's why you should move over."

  
Douglas stared at Martin until he started to blush again under his scrutiny, but to his credit, Martin didn't look away. When Douglas spoke next, his voice was ice cold.

  
"What do you mean?"

  
"Well, I'm the Captain."

  
"Yes, Lord knows I know that, Martin. What has this got to do with the sleeping arrangements?"

  
It was then that it dawned on Douglas. He let out a quiet, slightly horrified chuckle. "You can't... You can't seriously be suggesting that I'm in the wrong spot on the bed because I'm on the _left hand side_?"

  
"That is what I'm suggesting, yes." Martin's eyebrows raised expectantly. "So move over."

  
"No!" Douglas shuffled under the duvet in a somewhat childish display of stubbornness. "I was here first!"

  
"I put my water glass on the left side table before I showered!" Martin whined, all semblance of 'Captain' leaving him completely.

  
"And you may have noticed that I have moved it to the right side."

  
"The Captain is always on the left," Martin ground out through gritted teeth.

  
"In the _aeroplane_ ," Douglas shot back. "But, by all means, please do show me the passage in the manual where it says 'Captain should be situated to the left of First Officer at all times, including, but not limited to, when they sleep together'. Besides, I always sleep on the left."

  
"So do I!"

  
"Martin," Douglas began in his sweetest voice. "Given that you have shared your bed with less people than have managed to keep down Arthur's Surprising Rice, I think it's safe to say you haven't really had a chance to establish a side of the bed. You can sleep wherever the hell you like!"

  
"Right. And I want to sleep on the left!"

  
Douglas pinched the bridge of his nose. His quiet, romantic evening had slipped from his grasp and was in the process of escaping out the window without paying it's bill. He wished he couldn't believe Martin was making such a fuss over this, but he found that mostly he wasn't surprised at all.

  
"Just move over?" Martin implored softly. He'd managed to kneel on the tiny gap between Douglas and the edge of the bed and was insistently nudging his First Officer with his knee. "It's just for one night."

  
"Is it, though?" Douglas asked, catching Martin's eyes with his. "Maybe I've misunderstood where our relationship is going, but I was rather hoping that this would be a _first_ rather than an _only one_."

  
All the stubborn insistence fell from Martin's features, leaving a sudden look of vulnerability that Douglas wasn't ready for. "I'm sorry Dougl-"

  
"Really, Martin, if you can't let go of your superiority complex even when you're asleep, things are going to become very difficult." Hurt flashed across Martin's face as he looked away, and Douglas instantly regretted the words. He raised a hand to stroke across Martin's jaw line. "I have very little desire to sleep with my Captain. I want to be with _you_."

  
Martin stared at Douglas for a moment, hesitating before leaning into the gentle fingers on his cheek. His eyes fluttered shut, and Douglas caught mumbled words which might have been 'You sod'. He kissed at Douglas' hand before he pulled away, making his way quickly around the bed to the right hand side, lifting the duvet and sliding under in one smooth movement. As Douglas chuckled, Martin pulled himself closer, throwing an arm across Douglas' broad chest and laying his head on his shoulder. Douglas could see the flush back on Martins cheeks as he laid soft kisses onto still damp ginger curls.

  
"That's not to say," Douglas mumbled softly, after a few blissful minutes of silent affection, "that I would be at all adverse to the idea if, at any time in this relationship, you wanted to wear your hat during sex."

  
"Douglas!" Martin squeaked indignantly, pushing himself far enough away to turn a scandalised look on the older man.

  
"Oh, don't look so shocked!" Douglas laughed. "I can even wear mine too, if you want."

  
Martin sputtered huffily, causing Douglas to laugh even louder. "I thought you didn't want to sleep with your captain!"

  
"Not all the time, certainly." Douglas rolled over, catching Martin and pinning him beneath him. He met smiling lips with his own before pulling back enough to rub their noses together. "But when I do..." Another kiss, and a small sigh. "I'll be sure to let him sleep on the left."


End file.
